This creamy Cinnamon Frosting is light and fluffy with the perfect amount of cinnamon. Use it in place of cream cheese frosting or plain buttercream frosting for cakes, cookies, and more.
If you're looking for more frosting recipes, you can also try this Lemon Buttercream Frosting, Raspberry Frosting, Blood Orange Buttercream Frosting, or our classic Cream Cheese Frosting.
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Whipped Cinnamon Frosting
This truly is the lightest, fluffiest buttercream we’ve tried, and it's so simple. Whip together butter, sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and a splash of milk to get the creamiest, airiest and most perfectly balanced buttercream frosting. It’s sweet, but not hurt-your-teeth sweet, and it’s not quite as heavy as cream cheese frosting.
Be sure to taste your frosting as you go, and feel free to add more or less cinnamon to your liking. The goal is to achieve warm, cinnamon deliciousness rather than having the cinnamon overpower every other flavor.
How To Use Cinnamon Icing
- Frosting for Cupcakes: Pipe or spread over the top of cupcakes, like our yummy Pumpkin Cupcakes or Zucchini Cupcakes.
- As a substitute for cream cheese frosting: we love cream cheese frosting, but sometimes you want something a little lighter. Cinnamon Buttercream would taste great on our Pumpkin Cake, Cinnamon Twist, Sugar Cookies, or these Sugar Cookie Bars.
- Cinnamon Roll or Cookie Icing: you can spread a thin layer on top of Homemade Cinnamon Rolls, or cookies, like these Soft Molasses Cookies or Gingerbread Bars.
Ingredients You Will Need
- Butter - you’ll want this to be room temperature. If you forget to pull it out ahead of time, you can microwave it for about 5-10 seconds at a time, just until soft (do not melt!).
- Cinnamon - I recommend adding about ¾ of the amount of ground cinnamon at first and then adding more to taste.
- Vanilla Extract- pure vanilla extract is best.
- Powdered Sugar - you should always sift your powdered sugar to remove any lumps that have formed.
- Milk - you can substitute heavy cream or evaporated milk if you like.
How to Make Cinnamon Icing
- Add the room temperature butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and whip on medium speed using the whisk attachment until it is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add the cinnamon and vanilla extract and whisk to combine.
- Next, add the powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of milk and whisk again until light and fluffy and completely combined.
- Add up to an additional tablespoon of milk, if needed, until desired consistency is reached. It should be thick enough to hold its shape but soft enough to spread.
- Use immediately, or store in the refrigerator or freezer. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Since it contains both butter and milk, you do need to refrigerate your buttercream. You can transfer any extra to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to two weeks.
To return it to its light and fluffy self, pull the container from the fridge and let it sit out to come up to room temperature. Then, transfer to your mixing bowl, whisk until fluffy, and use just like new!
Yes! Buttercream freezes beautifully. Just transfer whatever amount you want to freeze into freezer bags or an airtight container, and store frozen for up to 3 months.
Once you are ready to use, it’s easiest to thaw it out in the fridge overnight, then pull it from the fridge the next day and let it come to room temperature. All you’ll need to put it into your mixing bowl and whisk until you have fluffy buttercream frosting again.
Fridge- Buttercream Frosting is best stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days.
Freezer- You can store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to use it, just let it thaw and whip it in your mixing bowl to make it light and fluffy. You may need to add more powdered sugar to get it back to the right consistency.
Pipe Buttercream Like a Pro
Sure, you can frost cupcakes using a spoon or a spatula, but it doesn’t take much more than a little practice to pipe them like a pro! Here are a few tips to get you started:
- Play around with tips to see which you like, but our recommendation for a simple design is a star or a round tip.
- You can purchase disposable and reusable piping bags, or in a pinch, you can use a plastic freezer bag. In the case of a freezer bag, place the piping tip you have chosen to use inside the empty freezer bag and let it fall to one corner. Cut the corner so that the tip stays inside the bag but the bag isn’t in the way of the tip. Fill with buttercream and pipe away!
- It’s best not to overfill your piping bag because your hands will warm up the frosting.
- If you mess up, carefully scrape the buttercream back into the bowl and try again!
Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- ½ cup Butter room temperature
- 2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 4 cups Powdered Sugar sifted
- 2-3 Tablespoons Milk can substitute heavy whipping cream or evaporated milk
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the room temperature butter and whip using the whisk attachment until it is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add the cinnamon and vanilla extract and whisk to combine.
- Next, add the powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of milk and whisk again until light and fluffy and completely combined.
- Add up to an additional tablespoon of milk, if needed, until desired consistency is reached.
- Use immediately, or store in the refrigerator or freezer. Enjoy!
Nutrition
More Easy Frosting Recipes
- Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe
- Buttercream Frosting
- Salted Caramel Frosting
- Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- German Chocolate Frosting
- Orange Creamsicle Frosting
- Eggnog Buttercream Frosting
- More Delicious Desserts
- More Easy Spreads and Frostings
This Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting is dreamy, creamy, light and fluffy with the perfect amount of cinnamon. Try spread or pipe onto your favorite cupcakes, cookies, cinnamon rolls and more.
April C
I made some Apple Butter macarons and this icing was perfect! Created a sturdy barrier to go around my filling and the icing here just set it off!!
Sandi
I loved the idea of cinnamon buttercream. This turned out so yummy!
wilhelmina
We loved this frosting! I used it as the filling between snickerdoodles to make the perfect cookie sandwich. Cinnamon Heaven!